The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has fixed Oct. 5, for the conduct of local government council elections in the state.

RSIEC chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), announced the date at a stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt on Monday.

“The aim of this meeting is to unveil the timetable and guidelines for the conduct of elections into the 23 local government councils in the state,” he said.

Mr Enebeli said that campaigns would take place between Sept. 4 and Oct. 3 while the election would hold on Oct. 5.

He urged political parties willing to participate in the exercise to obtain, complete and submit their expression of interest forms to the commission, latest July 15.

Mr Enebeli said that the commission was empowered by Section 5 of the RSIEC Law No 2 of 2018, to provide guidelines and to conduct local government council elections in the state.

He said that only registered political parties could sponsor candidates for the elections by submitting duly completed expression of interest forms to the commission.

The chairman said that the commission would not tolerate multiple nominations of candidates for one position during the process.

“Political parties that nominate multiple candidates for a particular position will be disqualified.

“Substitution of candidates will only be allowed if the first

candidate withdraws or dies before the exercise.

Speaking at the meeting, Solsuema Osaro, the chairman, Inter-party Advisory Council, said that political parties in the state were ready for the council elections.

He expressed hopes that the election commission would play the role of an unbiased umpire in the conduct of the poll.

(NAN)